Love Is A Scheme
by RainbowKiss
Summary: COMPLETE! Obviously, they're in love but Kyohei and Sunako's constant denials drive their friends nuts. The friends won't stop, however, until they get them together and there's this one more scheme that they haven't tried just yet...
1. Operation Matchmaking

Disclaimer: The Wallflower does not belong to me. I wish I own Kyohei, though… *drools*

* * *

**LOVE IS A SCHEME**

--Chapter 01--

**Operation Matchmaking**

_But love is blind, and lovers cannot see  
The pretty follies that themselves commit.  
--William Shakespeare_

* * *

"Argh!" A loud, un-lady like shriek was heard from the kitchen of the palatial Nakahara estate.

With a shining-shimmering Hiroshi-kun tucked under one arm, a supremely angry Nakahara Sunako suddenly bursted inside the living room, completely shattering the tranquil atmosphere that Yuki and Ranmaru had been enjoying until a few seconds ago.

"Where? Where is that dazzling creature?!" Sunako furiously demanded, her wild, purple eyes darting into slits as she scanned the spacious living room for her prey.

"What seems to be the problem, Sunako-chan?" Yuki inquired good-naturedly, flashing Sunako his bright, boyish smile. He winced and regretted that he opened his mouth as Sunako threw him an evil stare.

Finally, her gaze fell on the tall and pretty half-naked blond man that was Kyohei, who was, at that moment, blissfully sleeping in one of Oba-chan's designer sofas.

Sunako laid Hiroshi-kun on the floor and in one blink was already in Kyohei's side, pressing a pillow hard against his face.

"I swear, I'm gonna kill you, you dazzling thief!" Yuki had heard her say and so he immediately tried to stop her from suffocating Kyohei. Ranmaru, upon seeing the danger of the situation, abruptly ended a telephone conversation with one of his prospective kittens, and proceeded to help Yuki.

"Sunako-chan, please, don't…" Ranmaru pleaded while he and Yuki struggled to restrain her.

"What's this about, Sunako? You're too noisy!" Kyohei complained through half-opened eyes.

"Grrrr!" She growled while Yuki and Ranmaru tried with all their might to keep her from touching Kyohei.

"What's happening?" a concerned Takenaga, who just came from a study date with Noi, opened the living room door and walked inside.

"He! Stole! My green tea ice-cream! Again! And I've been saving that for Hiroshi-kun!" Sunako accused darkly.

"Oh, right." Kyohei yawned non-chalantly. "Sorry about that. I was hungry."

Sunako was heaving. She wanted so badly to teach the dazzling creature a lesson. "SORRY?!? That's it?"

"As if he's actually going to eat anything!" Kyohei lashed at her, his irritation at being abruptly awakened mingling with the anger that he has at the stupidity of this argument. "Why are you so hell-bent on taking care of Hiroshi-kun, anyway? Heck, that creepy doll of yours can't even keep you warm at night! And besides, it's your fault since you haven't made some snacks first before waxing that damned doll!"

"Take that back or I'm gonna slit your throat!" Sunako fiercely ordered, ready to beat all the living daylights out of him.

"Do it if you can! Who cares?" Kyohei taunted her, knowing full well that her words were nothing but empty threats.

"That's enough already!" Takenaga, exasperated, shouted at the two of them.

"Kyohei, apologize to Sunako-chan now!" Noi scolded the indifferent blond.

"I've done that already!" Kyohei spat while proceeding to get up from where he was lying. "Don't worry, I promise I'd get your dear Hiroshi all the ice cream that he can eat after I earn enough money." he added sarcastically.

Sunako pouted. She jerked her arms away from Yuki and Ranmaru. "Never mind. I'd do it myself," she fired back, realizing that she can't do anything about the dazzling creature's stubbornness.

Five pairs of eyes simply watched her as she picked up Hiroshi-kun and slipped out of the room, sulking. They held their breaths for another moment until they all felt that the tension had completely ebbed away.

Noi was the first to break the silence. "What are you still doing here, Kyohei?! Go after her and say you didn't mean to hurt her or Hiroshi-kun."

"And just why would I do that?" Kyohei snapped.

"Because that's what a good boyfriend should do!" Yuki reasoned.

"Yeah. And no matter how you look at it, you've only got yourself to blame," Ranmaru added as a matter-of-factly.

"Hey, all of you! Stop ganging on me! I almost got killed, remember?" Kyohei reminded them.

"How could you be so rude and insensitive Takano Kyohei? Yours and Sunako's life would've been much, much easier if you would only reveal your true feelings," Noi quipped, while pointing an accusing finger at the pretty blond's face.

"What true feelings are you saying?" Kyohei asked, his nostrils flaring up again in anger.

"That you actually love Sunako-chan! That she's the only woman you cared about and the only woman who has captured your ice-cold heart!" Ranmaru declared, recalling some heartfelt lines from his romantic conquests. "You better heed our advice before somebody else waters her wilting heart!" he warned.

"I don't!" Kyohei vehemently denied.

"You're obviously lying," Yuki observed.

"I'm not! And stop all of your romantic delusions because they're impossible!" He glared at them all.

"What's so impossible if you haven't even tried?" Noi attempted again to encourage Kyohei.

He looked at his friends in revulsion and realized one thing: he's dying to scream his lungs out and one more word from them would trigger him to do just that and more. He exhaled sharply without answering back, gritted his teeth, stood up and went for the door.

"So, are you finally going to confess to Sunako-chan?" Yuki asked, hoping against all hopes that his friend has finally seen the light.

Kyohei scoffed and told them, "In your dreams," before closing the door behind him.

Kyohei's exit was shortly followed by three audible sighings from Noi, Yuki and Ranmaru.

"How utterly hopeless!" Yuki complained as he let himself fall on the couch, completely exhausted. "Will they forever live like this?"

"But we shouldn't give up! I think they're almost there!" Noi balled her fists in determination.

"You really think so, Noi? I think we should just let them be. I had enough of their childishness," Ranmaru shook his head.

"They're both cautious about their feelings," Takenaga, who had been generally silent during this whole ordeal, finally concluded. "To get them together, one of them had to make the first move,"

"Isn't that what we've been trying to work on?" the other three asked Takenaga in unison, a little disappointed at the latter's conclusion.

The dark-haired bishounen cleared his throat. "I can understand Sunako. She has her heart broken before. What I don't get is Kyohei. Something's keeping him back and pride is the only barrier I'm looking at,"

"But no matter what, I think the first move must come from Kyohei!" Noi told the others passionately. "Sunako has gone through a lot of heartaches already and she deserves a declaration of love from the heart of a sincere man!"

"Then we'll make Kyohei confess first," Takenaga agreed.

"Wait a minute, we've done that countless of times before but to no avail." Yuki interrupted. "We've locked them up, tied them together, resorted to blackmails, etcetera. And you've seen how stubborn he is a while ago. How are we supposed to force him to confess?"

"We wouldn't force him," Takenaga's eyes sparkled while picturing an elaborate plan in his head. "There's one scheme that we haven't tried up to now…"

"What are you suggesting, Takenaga-kun?" Noi inquired, her curiosity mounting by the moment.

"We will provoke Kyohei's jealousy," came his answer. "With this, we'll know for sure if he likes her or not,"

Ranmaru smiled as he ran a hand through his flowing red mane. "Hmm. I think that might just work," he has now understood what Takenaga was driving at. "There's nothing better than a little competition to pump up a man's ego!"

"That's brilliant, Takenaga-kun! If somebody goes after Sunako-chan's heart, it would put pressure on Kyohei and he'd surely confess!" Noi clapped her hands together in so much excitement that her eyes literally shone.

"B-but how could that be?! Sunako-chan has never had any suitors!" Yuki worried. He felt so totally alone in the sidelines of this conversation.

Takenaga put a hand on his shoulder. "We have the means, Yuki," He reassured him with an almost devious smile.

And so they huddled together to quietly discuss their scheme.

+ o + o + o + o +

The doorbell rang early the next morning while Takenaga, Kyohei, Yuki and Ranmaru were having coffee and while Sunako was making them breakfast.

"I'll get it," Yuki ran towards the front door. He came bouncing back moments later carrying a big bouquet of red roses in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other.

"Guys, these are such wonderful gifts on such a wonderful morning!" Yuki announced, his voice full of excitement. "Can anyone guess who these are for?"

Takenaga averted his gaze from the morning paper he was reading. "Surely, that can't be yours, Yuki, so I'm placing 15,000 Yen on Ranmaru. The girls knew he's most tolerant with gifts,"

"No way! 20,000 yen on Kyohei, he's got more fan girls than the rest of us!" Ranmaru said.

"If it's for me, you know what to do," Kyohei murmured without any hint of interest. He continued sipping his hot cup of coffee.

"You're all wrong, folks!" Yuki laughed, as he drew closer to his friends. "These gifts are actually for…"

"…Sunako-chan!"

Takenaga dropped the newspaper in surprise. Ranmaru simply smiled. Kyohei accidentally spilled coffee on himself.

"F-for me?" Sunako, who has always believed that she has greater chances of receiving death threats than gifts, couldn't believe her ears.

"Uh-huh! Just for you, Sunako-chan!" Yuki beamed happily. "Here, let me read the card: To my dear Sunako. I've always wanted to tell you that you mean the world to me. Please accept these gifts. Love, your Secret Admirer." He handed her the flowers and the box of chocolates.

"Sunako-chan has a secret admirer. Wow." Takenaga commended, while studying Sunako's bemused expression.

"T-this… Is this a joke?" Sunako asked the four men meekly. When she confirmed that it's not from any of them, she gingerly untied the shiny ribbon from the chocolate box (she doesn't give a damn about the roses), slowly peered inside and gasped. Her eyes shone in much delight that she couldn't help but drool upon seeing that the chocolates were shaped like tiny skulls.

"Woah! So cute!" Yuki admired the contents of the box. " The guy sure knows what you like,"

"I'm happy for you, Sunako-chan. You're on your way to finding true love," Takenaga patted her back.

"What true love are you talking about? For all we know, those chocolates are poisoned!" Kyohei commented. "Really, I'm having a bad feeling about this,"

Takenaga laughed. "You're just jealous, Kyohei! But wait, are you sure you're not Sunako-chan's secret admirer?"

"No!" Kyohei's reply was immediate.

"Of course not. It's not his style," the handsome red-head remarked from the other side of the table. "Those gifts came from a man who knows how to make you happy, Sunako-chan."

Sunako wasn't listening to their conversation. She even forgot about breakfast. Her eyes and her thoughts were completely riveted on the skull-shaped chocolates before her.

"Lemme have some," Kyohei tried to grab a piece but Sunako slapped his hand.

"No! These are mine!" Sunako hissed at him then she finished the chocolates in one sitting.

…_To be continued.

* * *

_

**Author's Notesy-notes:**

If you have any reviews lying around, please do me a favour and press the review button! (I'm actually begging,haha). Any feedbacks, comments and/or violent reactions with regards to my writing are welcome. I want to be better at this so help me improve! Much thanks and til next update. (I'm actually promising that updates will be soon and regular since I'm done with the whole thing and is just into the final touches… ^__^


	2. Mind Over Matters

**LOVE IS A SCHEME**

-- Chapter 02—

**Mind Over Matters**

_What is a kiss? Why this, as some approve:  
The sure, sweet cement, glue, and lime of love.  
--Robert Herrick_

* * *

And so the roses and the skull-shaped choclates arrived at the exact same hour every morning for Sunako. Not only these, but she's also finding love letters littered with cheesy poetry inside her locker in school every day since the gifts started coming in at her aunt's mansion.

Her other friends were just too happy for her except Kyohei. Whether he's too indifferent or is perfectly masking his jealousy, nobody could tell for sure. Sunako, on the other hand, never cared about the roses or the letters or the existence of the so-called secret admirer. She was simply after the delicious skull-shaped chocolates that never fail to brighten up her day.

+ o + o + o +

Kyohei was the one who received Sunako's gits from the mail man on this particular morning. He quietly walked in the kitchen carrying the roses and the chocolate box while Sunako's back was on him.

"My Dear Sunako. My heart flutters because of you. I love you everyday. From your Secret Admirer." Kyohei read the card in this ridiculous, mocking tone.

"My chocolates!" She squealed in delight.

Sunako, on realizing that her daily chocolate ration has arrived, left whatever she was doing to snatch the precious box from Kyohei's hand. She gingerly untied the ribbon like she used to, admired the tiny, sweet skulls just like the first time she ever saw them, and hastily put them in her mouth. Kyohei struggled to keep himself from gagging while watching her.

"Can't you finish those later? After making breakfast? I'm hungry!" Kyohei groaned.

"So am I," she replied, in between mouthfuls of candies.

"What a pain," Kyohei tried again while putting a hand in his smooth forehead. "Your secret admirer's delaying our breakfast,"

Silence. And he was slightly annoyed for reasons he wasn't really sure of.

"Why don't you tell that admirer of yours to act like a man and reveal himself?" he grumbled.

"As if I can do that. I don't know who he is." She simply shrugged her shoulders. "But I really wish I can thank him. These chocolates are the best!"

Silence again. He lingered in the kitchen some more and felt quite amazed as he watched Sunako indulge herself in her tasty treat like an excited little girl who just had her first doll.

Then, out of nowhere, he blurted, "I've one advice for you, though. Don't fall in love too soon. You don't know what kind of person he is."

And with that, he walked away and quietly shut the door behind him.

+ o + o + o +

"So, you aren't bothered with Sunako-chan's secret admirer?" Takenaga wanted to know. He and Noi are with Kyohei in the living room to talk some sense into the latter.

"Nope."

"Why are you so stubborn, Kyohei?" Noi's impatience started to get the better of her. "Don't you feel jealous?"

"Why would I?! And why are you all being so pushy?" Kyohei angrily wondered why they are on this conversation again.

Takenaga pushed his glasses up to his nose. "So you don't like Sunako at all?"

Kyohei looked away. "No."

"But you kissed her already! Was that just out of impulse?" Noi whined.

If not for Takenaga, Kyohei was sure he would've glued Noi-chan's big mouth already. His thoughts drifted back to that moment when he last kissed Sunako in the school infirmary while she was tending his back wounds. The memory brought with it a rekindled sensation that he somehow liked but still, he found himself saying, "Yeah, I guess you can call it that," with all the indifference he could possibly muster.

But deep down, though, he knew he was lying. Out of all the girls he knew, Sunako simply stands out. And for some weird reasons, she was the only one of whom he had felt the urge to kiss. _But she loathes me like hell because I'm too bright. A relationship is simply impossible. _He said at the back of his mind. And he knew exactly how it will be if he dare confess his feelings for her. She'd just freak out, then bleed, then faint, then will not remember anything he said and the cycle would just repeat itself until she bleeds herself dry. How utterly pathetic.

"That means you're gonna be okay with whoever she dates..." Takenaga's tone seemed to imply that it's more of a declaration than a question and Kyohei sighed with relief.

The blond just smirked and replied, "She can go out whith whoever she wants," he imagined her scaring her secret admirer off right on their first date with stories about her obsessions of everything macabre. He doubted that any secret admirer in his right mind could stand that.

"Seriously, Kyohei?" Noi didn't seem to let him go that easily.

"Seriously." He yawned and shifted into a reclining position, the back of his head turned on Takenaga and Noi. He hoped that the two would understand his body language and just leave him alone.

"Alright." The handsome, dark-haired boy finally conceded. "That's all we needed to know. At least, all of us will still be friends even when Sunako-chan and Ranmaru started dating."

A sharp jolt seemed to sweep through Kyohei's body and he was sure as hell that he's wide awake the moment he turned to face Takenaga and his girlfriend again.

"R-Ranmaru?!? WHAT?"

+ o + o + o +

Meanwhile, Ranmaru and Yuki found Sunako in the study room while she was busy wiping the windows clean.

"Sunako-chan! Will you ever forgive us if we tell the truth?" Yuki began, his face soaked with worry.

She turned to them with a blank stare and wondered what was this all about again. "That depends," she murmured.

And so the two told her about Takenaga's idea of bringing her and Kyohei together. That there was really no secret admirer at all and that they were the ones behind the gifts and the love letters. All to get Kyohei to confess his true feelings for her.

Except for the blank stare the she continued to give them, there was no violent reaction from her after hearing everything. Honestly, this is much less complicated than what she expected. However, she was a little disappointed at the news that since everything is just a farce, then the skull-shaped chocolates would stop coming, too. She sighed heavily.

"Sunako-chan, sorry. We mean well, we really do." Ranmaru somehow mistook her sigh as a disappointment over the imaginary secret admirer.

"Thanks for letting me know," she told them quietly then went on with her task of cleaning the windows. "But then, you don't have to go through those lengths to make the dazzling creature do what he doesn't want to do. You can't force people to fall in love,"

"But he is in love! With you! He's just gathering enough courage to confess." Yuki proudly reported.

"We always knew about his secret but for someone like him, sorting his feelings could take time," Ranmaru added.

"You're making things up again..." Sunako said.

"We're not! Kyohei is in love with you. He's just too proud and confused at the moment but he'll make up his mind soon," Ranmaru confirmed.

"No." The rag she was holding dropped to the floor as Sunako's both hands fell limply to her sides.

"Sunako-chan, d-don't you... don't you like our friend Kyohei?" Yuki dared ask her quite frankly while at the same time bracing himself for something unexpected.

"No!" she replied, almost like a knee-jerk reaction. Her eyes flashed much to Yuki's horror. "He's rude, he's selfish, he's a glutton, he always steals my favorite food and he's too radiant, I can't stand him!"

"But don't you have anuthing good to say about him? He's not too evil, you know? C'mon, be honest with yourself, Sunako-chan." Ranmaru cajoled her and hoped for the best.

She pursed her lips together and thought for a few seconds. "Um... well... he... he seems to be okay with me, being me... he's sensible and easy to talk to... and... he seems to be always there for me..."

"Yes, that's it! So you like him!" Ranmaru happily inferred. The opportunity he's been waiting for.

"No!!!" she argued.

"Yes, you do!" Ranmaru was extremely enjoying himself. This is the chance that he and Yuki had been gunning for and they won't let this slip away. "You just don't admit it but he's more valuable to you than your precious Hiroshi-kun!"

"You love him as much as you always want to feed his appetite with the best dishes!" Yuki supported Ranmaru's logic. "And you aren't comfortable when he's not around!"

"And you wouldn't bear to see him get hurt! You never let anybody harm him, not even yourself! YOU REALLY LOVE HIM!" Ranmaru stressed his point.

Sunako fell to her knees as the truth dawned on her like a splash of ultra-cold water on her face.

"Everything... everything you said.. is true!" she cried in horror, her breath coming out raspily. "So... I really like him.."

In her fury, her nails made deep scratch marks on the floor, her hair flew in wild tangles, and a dark aura emanated from her.

"You do, you do!" The two bishounens exclaimed together.

"NOOOOOOOOO! I can't fall for that dazzling creature!" She shrieked, clasping her head with both hands. The realization is driving her mad. "Please don't say anything, anymore! I can't go on with this madness! It will be the ultimate betrayal of myself," she's obviously headed for a breakdown so Ranmaru and Yuki rushed to her side and tried their best to keep her from losing in touch with reality.

"Sunako-chan, there's no betrayal. Everything's just in your head," Ranmaru consoled her. "Just give yourself and Kyohei a chance and we're sure you'll be happy,"

"I've ... I've fallen in love with the dazzling creature without me realizing it..." she whispered to herself, shaking uncontrollably.

"It's fine, Sunako-chan. Love is the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to you," Yuki told her, while he gently stroked her back.

"B-but if I like him... and he likes me too..." she despaired in this rather small voice. Ranmaru and Yuki felt awfully guilty as tears began to course through Sunako's pale cheeks, "he'd confess... we'd become a couple... then... then..." she couldn't bring herself to utter the dreadful words...

"...then we'll have to kiss,"

"Exactly!" Ranmaru interjected.

Just by imagining it, Sunako fell to the floor, unconscious, due to massive blood loss.

"Kyaa!" Yuki was flabbergasted.

"Quick, Yuki! Get her some warm water!" Ranmaru was also starting to panic. "Hang in there, Sunako-chan..."

+ o + o + o +

Yuki and Ranmaru were whispering something inaudible when she came to her senses. They hastily came to her side to check on her when they realized that she has awakened.

"I almost forgot about the nosebleeds. Is that what's bothering you, Sunako-chan?" Ranmaru flashed her his most encouraging smile.

"No worries! Ranmaru's here to help you prepare for Kyohei's kiss of true love!" Yuki cheered, while puckering his full lips.

...And Sunako fell to the floor once again and bled some more.

+ o + o + o +

"Ranmaru is Sunako-chan's secret admirer..." Takenaga stated calmly.

_Ranmaru... secret admirer..._

The words rang in his thoughts like a sledgehammer pounding repeatedly against skull. "Ranmaru, of all people?!"

That was highly improbable.

"Hoy, Takenaga, you're just pulling my leg, aren't you?"

"Surely not, you idiot!" Noi reviled, gritting her teeth.

"No. What would I gain if I do that?" he looked directly in Kyohei's eyes without betraying any emotion.

The pretty blond boy never knew what to say.

"Yuki and I have always known that Ranmaru had a thing for Sunako-chan. But out of respect for you, he hasn't done anything about it because he believes that you like her, too. And since you haven't done anything, he's finally decided to pursue Sunako-chan's heart."

Kyohei rigidly sat in silence as he tried to make something out of Takenaga's ramblings.

"...You know how he plans his romance. Apparently, he wants to surprise her so he took up the secret admirer scheme."

_Of course_. Kyohei contemplated. _The skull-shaped chocolates would only come from someone who knew Sunako so well. And the roses. Ranmaru's always fond of roses_. It's becoming easier to believe Takenaga's stories now that he has made the connection. Kyohei brought a hand to his temples as he suddenly felt nauseated.

"Kyohei, we're as surprised as you are. I hope you now see that we're trying to force you to do stuff because somehow, we knew what will happen. I just want to be reassured that whatever goes between Ranmaru and Sunako-chan, you'll be fine with it," Takenaga surmised.

_You better heed our advice before somebody else waters Sunako-chan's wilting heart..._

Ranmaru's words resounded loud and clear in his ears as if he just heard them yesterday. _Sunako may be different but she's still a girl...and Ranmaru's ten-to-one successful with all the girls he pursued..._

Kyohei bolted from his seat and grabbed Takenaga by the collar.

"But Takenaga! How could you tolerate such foolishness? You know how Ranmaru is!" Kyohei argued furiously, realizing that what was just revealed is simply a prelude to even greater problems.

"Kyohei, we can't do anything about it anymore, and besides, he's my friend, too." Takenaga answered dejectedly.

"He's right, Kyohei!" Noi instinctively reacted while at the same time preventing the tall blond from hurting Takenaga. "For all we know, he might just be confessing to her right now! And Sunako-chan's big enough to decide for herself, so what the hell?!"

He wasted no time and made a mad rush to find Sunako and Ranmaru wherever they are, his life purpose very clear at the moment: He'd stop at nothing just to prevent that playboy from breaking Sunako's heart.

+ o + o + o +

"Remember, like I've said earlier, it's all in your head, Sunako-chan," Ranmaru went ahead of teaching the hopelessly clueless girl the basics of kissing after she has finally come around. He made her stand straight in the middle of the study room while Yuki and himself stood some five feet away from her.

"Kissing must be something pleasurable, so just try to relax as it happens," Ranmaru continued, proud of sharing his expertise.

"I can't..." Sunako muttered helplessly.

"Relax..." Ranmaru's voice was calm and soothing. "Imagine deep, dark midnight... You love the darkness, right?" He gave her time to concentrate.

Sunako's amused reaction told him that she's slowly getting the hang of this exercise. He walked closer to where she was.

"Now, when his hands rests on your shoulders like this," he felt her cringe beneath his touch so she motioned for her to think of midnight again.

"Or when he cups your face just like this, then you'll know he's about to kiss you." Ranmaru indicated while doing what he was saying.

Blood trickled from Sunako's nose. "You're dazzling, too," she sniffed.

"Yuki, tissue," The red-head commanded to which the shorter bishounen dutifully obeyed.

"Keep relaxing and don't lose focus." Ranmaru advised. "Now, to keep you from getting distratcted, you don't have to look straight in his eyes. Look at his forehead instead. It will create the same impression on him," he instructed casually. He was grateful that Sunako proved to be more manageable. "Slowly close your eyes as his face gets closer... keep imagining the deep, dark midnight..."

"Deep, dark midnight," Sunako repeated like a mantra. It was evident on her face that she's trying real hard to focus on this exercise.

Yuki, who was watching all of this, clapped his hands over his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud.

"Yes. Now, the kiss will come like a cool, sweetly-scented breeze of midnight upon your lips... like this..." Ranmaru drew his face closer to Sunako so she could at least feel his breath on her face.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER, YOU PLAYBOY!!!"

Kyohei suddenly barged into the study room, his whole physique contorted into utter disgust.

_To be continued..._

* * *

**Author's Notesy - notes:**

A bunch of thanks to all who reviewed! You really, really inspired me!!! I hope you'd also like how the story is progressing. And sorry for the cliffhanger, I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you again!!! Til next update ^__^


	3. True Lies

**LOVE IS A SCHEME**

-- Chapter 3—

**True Lies**

_You never get mixed up if you simply tell the truth.  
Then you don't have to remember what you have said,  
and you never forget what you have said._  
--Representative Sam Rayburn

_

* * *

_

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER, YOU PLAYBOY!!!"

Kyohei suddenly barged into the study room, his whole physique contorted into utter revulsion.

"Kyohei, perfect timing!" Ranmaru greeted his friend, a smug smile etched on his face. _Great_, he thought, while assessing Kyohei's heated reaction. _The plan is going on smoothly_.

"Shuddup!!!" Kyohei barked, as he trudged heavily across the room. "I can't believe you're with him on this, Yuki!" he scolded the shorter bishounen.

"And you!" addressing Sunako furiously, "You're coming with me!" then he grabbed one of her wrists and carelessly dragged her out of the room.

She turned helplessly to her mentors Ranmaru and Yuki while trying to free her wrists from Kyohei's iron grip. "W-wait... I'm not ready for this..." But the two simply smiled and flashed her and 'OK' sign stealthily.

When Kyohei and Sunako were out of the room, Takenaga and Noi went in to check on their scheme's progress.

"How was it, Ranmaru?" the mastermind that was Takenaga, inquired.

"Haha! Piece of cake!" the red head replied, extremely proud of himself.

"B-but, are you really going to kiss Sunako-chan if Kyohei hadn't interrupted?" Yuki let out the question that kept messing up his thoughts.

"Absolutely not, Yuki-chan! I value my life more than fleeting pleasure," Ranmaru continued to laugh. He was sure that if he hadn't stopped himself in time, Kyohei would've finished digging his grave by now.

"To victory!" Noi pumped her hands in the air. At least now, they could sit back and relax as they only have to await Kyohei and Sunako's arrival to happy coupleland.

"To victory!" the others joined her and they gave each other high fives.

O + O + O + O

It was considerably bright outside, a stark contrast to Kyohei's tumultuous mood or Sunako's growing anxiety as he carelessly drag her into Oba-chan's dainty flower garden.

"I can't believe those people! How can they do this?" he growled, his hand still tightly locked around Sunako's small wrist.

Sunako was growing more agitated with each passing second. She wanted to run away and hide in the darkness of her room forever but she didn't think Kyohei will let her do that. He's about to confess, it's too soon and nothing's left for her but to be prepared. _I have to calm down. _She instructed herself. She fought to exude calmness in her voice as she decided to speak.

"Y-you... you don't have to be mad because they told me about your—"

He stopped abruptly to face her. "Of course, I'm mad! And how could you listen to him?" he almost shouted. "You know how deadly he is among the ladies! Did you ever forget about that?"

"Um, no. So what?" Sunako asked him cautiously, trying to make sense of why Ranmaru's reputation among the female race mattered on this particular issue.

He clenched his jaw at her question. "So don't believe whatever he said because he can't be trusted! All of it! He's lying!" he hollered at her, disbelieving how incredibly naive she is.

_All of it! Lies..._

The realization came to her like a rude awakening.

_I should've known better...that an amazingly gorgeous guy like him will ever fall for a frighteningly ugly girl like me... _she pondered bitterly.

_...and the worst is that I've already admitted to myself that I like him... _

Staring at Kyohei's hard expression made her wish that the ground beneath her feet would just swallow her up. The sooner, the better.

_I was mercilessly duped. Again._

She looked down on her shoes in so much dismay.

The sheer disappointment on Sunako's face never ran past Kyohei's eyes. It worried him that what he feared most had happened.

"Sunako, d-don't tell me... you've fallen for _him_ already?" After blurting the question out, Kyohei wasn't that sure if he ever really wanted to hear her reply.

"Him?" his inquiry caught her by surprise.

"Him. Ranmaru..." he never quite imagined that uttering his friend's name would leave a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

"Fallen for Ranmaru? N-no..." she was getting dazed as to why Ranmaru's name kept coming up now and then, of all times.

"Weren't you two about to kiss?" Kyohei demanded irately again. He severely hates being lied to, especially when he's got first hand evidence. "Then what were you two doing exactly?!"

Sunako blushed violently before answering. _Oh great. I'm not just the frighteningly ugly girl in his eyes... I'm also the delusional-frighteningly-ugly girl flirting hopelessly with another dazzling creature..._

"No! He... we..." she stammered. She fervently prayed that the earth would open up and eat her now before she ends up saying 'he's teaching me how to kiss you!' to Kyohei's face.

"We're not!" Sunako cried instead to her burning shame, hot tears spilling from her eyes. "They told me that... that you l-like me, too!" her words tumbled one after the other as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

_She wasn't in love with Ranmaru... but they told Sunako that _I_ liked her. _Too_... so what now? _The dazzling blond thought while stitching up the tiny details that Sunako has been feeding him with.

"Ranmaru told you that?!" it was the best that Kyohei could come up with as everything gradually came to him in pristine clarity.

An awkward silence hung around them for what seemed like an eternity.

When she couldn't wait for the ground to swallow her up, she meekly said to him, "But you already told me what I needed to hear. I've enough of this pretense already," Sunako fought to put up a straight face before she slowly walked back into the house. Kyohei, on the other hand, stood paralyzed to the spot and gaping hopelessly behind her.

"GRRR!" That idiot! I'm going to skin him alive myself, mmmm-mmm..." Noi, with her anger flaring up again, was about to pounce on Kyohei but Takenaga had covered her mouth. Yuki and Ranmaru went with their usual occupation of pacifying scornful ladies while they were hiding themselves in one of the rose bushes nearby.

_C'mon, Takano Kyohei! Do something, anything!_ He mentally scolded himself. His mind is in so much frenzy and he wished that things wouldn't occur this fast. Torn between anger and desperation, he was so damn sure he's ready to kill _somebody_ any moment but didn't exactly know who should go first: his friends with their 'good intentions' for bringing him and Sunako into this plight, or himself for being so haplessly stupid.

"Sunako, wait," Kyohei finally mustered the strength to do what he must. He went after her to grab her arm.

One statement to establish his point and buy him time: "Believe them."

"You're too confusing, dazzling creature. I don't know which to believe anymore," he heard her say. _But of course. She's too confused. I'm too confused myself but one thing's sure, though..._

"Okay, okay. Geez... this is crazy..." Kyohei muttered under his breath. He resolved to forgive Sunako's denseness for the time being.

"Whatever they said and whatever I said earlier, just forget about them. I'm gonna say what's true so listen carefully," Kyohei looked at her intently to make sure she understands. But Sunako continued to sport that befuddled look which told him that further elaboration is needed to make things simpler.

The moment to say the most embarrassing things, the type that he never knew he'd utter before any woman in this planet, finally came.

Without holding back anymore, he embraced her and whispered ever so gently into her hair,

"I love you, Nakahara Sunako. There. Believe it."

When Kyohei pulled away, he realized that she hadn't bled or passed out or anything. She simply stood frozen while staring blankly at him, perhaps in shock, so that may be a good sign.

_But she wasn't saying anything also, so that may be a bad sign, also..._

"Sunako! Darn! Say something!" Kyohei shook her shoulders.

"O-kay." Was the only word that departed her lips.

"What OKAY?" Kyohei gritted his teeth. He was annoyed and he wanted to smack Sunako's forehead to completely bring her out of her trance. "Are you 'OKAY' being my girlfriend?"

Sunako blinked twice before swallowing the lump on her throat. It's a major headache focusing on what the dazzling creature was saying while at the same time coaxing herself to imagine deep, dark midnight.

"Um." She nodded before adding, "B-but please, do not expect anything from me..."

Kyohei smiled at her and she swore she almost melted.

"I'm not. I'm fine just the way you are."

Just then, his warm hands found their way around her cheeks, making her heart thump madly against her rib cage.

She could feel the blood rushing through her head as Kyohei's russet eyes, mystifying and intoxicating as they probed her very soul, rest on her for a scant fragment of infinity.

Indeed, the moment has come.

"Don't," she warned him. "I may not be good at it,"

"You will never find out for sure if you don't try,"

As Kyohei slowly closed the gap between their lips, she shut her eyes and thought of the deepest, darkest midnight and the coldest breeze she could possibly imagine.

Their lips made contact. It was just so perfect until her knees buckled beneath her.

Her nose was bleeding profusely again and her eyes, though open, were not focusing on anything when Kyohei checked on her.

"Sunako, Sunako!" he rested her head on his broad chest while gently wiping her bloodied face with his shirt.

She was bleeding but she hadn't lost consciousness. In fact, she was perfectly aware of what's happening, or rather, what has happened. _I didn't pass out but I lost my focus, _she thought miserably. _Why did Ranmaru compared the kiss to a cold breeze when it wasn't so cold at all? Kyohei's lips were delightfully warm... just like the morning sunshine..._

"Kyohei,"

It was the first time that she called him by his first name and it landed so sweetly in his ears. "I'm sorry, I'm so terrible."

_Are you kidding? Your lips were the best things I've ever tasted! Even better than the fried shrimps that you always make..._ he wanted to tell her to make her feel better, but decided against it.

"Believe me. You're not."

"...Actually, the bleeding wasn't as bad as the last time," he planted a soft kiss on her forehead and she held her breath to stop herself from passing out completely in his arms.

"Maybe we should do this often, you know... so you'd get more practice," he teased her, while enjoying pure happiness and contentment afforded by the moment.

"Cruel creature. If we do this often, I'll die young." She replied. She never quite understood what the kiss had changed between herself and Kyohei but she felt undeniably light and comfortable now leaning on his chest and staring at his gorgeous face.

Ranmaru was whistling a happy tune while their other friends were clapping as they announced their presence.

"Mission accomplished." Takenaga said.

"All of you, what you did was ridiculous," Kyohei snorted.

"C'mon, Kyohei, you should just be grateful you've got thoughtful friends. We all got what we want," Ranmaru snickered.

"I'm so happy for you, Sunako-chan!" Noi said, while dabbing the tears (of overwhelming joy) off her eyes. "You've finally found true love!"

"This definitely calls for a celebration, right?" Yuki added happily.

"Of course." She confirmed. A sweet smile dawned on Sunako's lips, the kind that nobody has ever seen before.

"We'll have a feast."

**-THE END-**

* * *

**Author's notesy-notes:**

It is done. So thank you for making it this far.  
Either you've enjoyed this li'l SunaKyo story or you've just been incredibly patient, you gotta push that review button and holler at me what you think. I was delayed in uploading this final chapter 'coz I'm currently working now and the job takes much of my time. One sad thing about it is that I don't know if I'd be able to write fanfics again (because my ideas are sporadic and bringing those ideas to paper could take so much time which I rarely have nowadays). Anyway, I hope you have as much fun reading this and imagining our favee pair finally arrive safe and sound at happy-coupleland. I enjoyed doing this story, believe me, though it doesn't show in the writing. And sorry, I can't make it any longer. This was originally planned as a one-shot but I ended up writing a clutter of details so it ended up like this. It's the first time that I've written a fic with so much interaction with other characters. And it's quite a challenge keeping Suna and Kyo in character, too.

Now that the Christmas vacation is coming up, I might want to write another Suna Kyo story so let's all hope for the best. Also, if you have any plot suggestions, you might want to PM me so I can work on it. I want to write more Suna Kyo but without much free time, I could barely come up with a well-baked plot. So there. Again, SUPER THANK YOU to everyone who followed and reviewed this fic! 'Til next time!


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